"normal" idle for stock EJ25D?

Discussion in 'General Subaru Discussion' started by pcwerk, Aug 4, 2010.

  1. pcwerk
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    pcwerk Well-Known Member

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    Well, I honestly looked for a fairly long time in the archives and I cannot seem
    to find the answer to the above question. Is there a "normal" at rest idle? My
    "new" 99 Outback Legacy 2.5 with AT seems to be idlying low at about 2-300 rpms.
    My MIL's 99 Legacy sedan idles real low at 100 or so. So far neither stalls and my
    MIL's mechanic said if it isn't stalling "it isn't a problem"! What do ya'll think?
    pc
     
  2. FuJi K
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    FuJi K Well-Known Member

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    Time to clean out the idle air control with carb cleaner?? run injector cleaner through the fuel tank??
     
  3. AWDimprezaL
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    AWDimprezaL has more posts than you

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    Does it throw a CEL? they do idle pretty low, and the tach is very misleading.
     
  4. JasonoJordan
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    JasonoJordan Well-Known Member

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    the idle that is around 200-300 seems normal 100 seems low. but the tac does read 500rpm low if i remember correctly. safety feature to avoid over-rev from what im told.
     
  5. pcwerk
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    pcwerk Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for the responses! My MIL's car (with the 100 rpm) does throw a CEL. Not sure if it did
    when she had it serviced last? Thankfully, our new car isn't throwing any CEL's. I will still
    run some injector cleaner through it and try and clean the IAC (if I can find it and it doesn't seem
    to be that big of a deal ;-) So far the only thing I can see that will need attention on ours is a
    valve cover leak, but not enough to leak on the ground...just enough to have the "burning oil
    smell" that caused me to notice it.
     
  6. pcwerk
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    pcwerk Well-Known Member

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    Just a follow-up. I put a can of Seafoam in the gas tank of my car and I believe
    it has helped. Idle is consistently around 400 and "seems" stronger. Thanks.
    pc
     
  7. HiImBrian
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    HiImBrian Member

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    400rpms seems really low. My ej25d will idle right at 700 happily. There's a cell for abnormally low idle, but idk what it is off hand.
     
  8. AWDimprezaL
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    AWDimprezaL has more posts than you

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    Is it an auto or a manual? If an auto, is it in gear when it idles this low?
     
  9. pcwerk
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    pcwerk Well-Known Member

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    Its an auto and its in drive with my foot on the brake (like at a redlight) when
    it idles this low. I'm beginning to wonder whether the seafoam helped after all?
    Maybe I will clean out the IAC to see what happens?
    Edited, because I just drove it and see that it really only has the lower idle(~350)when I'm at a redlight with it in drive...
     
  10. pcwerk
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    pcwerk Well-Known Member

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    Yea, this really makes me wish my MIL will get her car serviced but she claims she has no money.
    And my DW and her are going off to northern Wisconsin in a few weeks in that car!